Punjab: 5 arrested with 8 weapons smuggled from Pakistan by gangsters

Punjab Police arrested five individuals in Amritsar and seized eight sophisticated weapons smuggled from Pakistan. The accused, who have prior criminal records, were working for handlers based in Pakistan as part of a larger criminal network.

The Punjab Police on Wednesday has arrested five accused individuals and recovered eight sophisticated weapons, which were pushed across the international border into Indian territory by the Pakistan-based smugglers. The accused persons have been identified as Harshadeep, a resident of Guru ki Vadali, Manpreet Mann from Chihata, Sukhraj Billa, a resident of Tarn Taran, Rahul Gill from Tarn Taran, and Arshdeep Gagad from Tarn Taran district.

Major Success in 'War Against Gangsters' Campaign

Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar called the arrests a "major success" in view of the Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann's zero tolerance policy and the ongoing 'War Against Gangsters' campaign in Punjab. "In line with the Chief Minister's 'zero tolerance' policy against organized crime and specifically within the ongoing 'War Against Gangsters' campaign in Punjab the Commissioner of Police, Amritsar, has achieved a major success. We have recovered eight sophisticated weapons that were pushed across the international border into Indian territory by Pakistan-based smugglers, and we have arrested five accused individuals in connection with this case," he said.

The Amritsar Police Commissioner said that all five accused possess prior criminal records. They have crossed paths in various jails in the past, and upon being released on bail, they once again conspired with their Pakistan-based and foreign-based handlers. "Although they are young men, each of them already has one or two significant criminal cases registered against them. The recovery itself is highly significant because all eight weapons are sophisticated firearms," he said.

Details of Recovered Weapons

According to the Police Commissioner, the recovered weapons include a 9mm Zigana, a Chinese-made .30 bore PX3, an Italian-made .30 bore Beretta, an Austrian-made 9mm Glock, and two additional 9mm Glocks and a .32 bore pistol.

Criminal History of the Accused

Speaking on the criminal history of the accused individuals, Bhullar noted that Harshadeep, a resident of Guru ki Vadali, already has a case registered against him under the Arms Act dating back to 2025.

Manpreet Mann, a resident of Chihata, has charges of attempted murder and involvement in violent altercations. Furthermore, a case is registered against him for criminal misconduct committed while he was incarcerated in jail.

During their interrogation, it was revealed that another individual involved in their network is Sukhraj Billa, a resident of Nishara Dhala in Tarn Taran. Billa had an FIR registered against him under the NDPS Act in 2022 at Saraye Maan Khan, Tarn Taran.

Rahul Gill, a 22-year-old resident of Tarn Taran who works at a cosmetics shop. There are existing cases registered against him as well; one involving kidnapping, and another under the NDPS Act involving a commercial quantity of narcotics, during which drug money was also seized from him.

Arshdeep Gagad hails from Lokhe village in the Tarn Taran district. One NDPS case is registered against him in Patti (Tarn Taran), and another in Mohka.

Modus Operandi and Underworld Connections

Bhullar emphasised that the accused persons were "big players' in the underworld and executed several deliveries as instructed by their handlers, who were often based in Pakistan. "They possess the typical criminal mindset of constantly seeking to upgrade their weaponry and firepower. Additionally, being lower-tier criminals, they work for the 'big players' in the underworld; they execute deliveries and carry out tasks exactly as instructed by their handlers, who are often based abroad, specifically in Pakistan," he said. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)